Turning Forty

…As we ease ourselves into Paris, we are somehow infused with the romantic atmosphere.  It’s really true, that sexy reputation Paris has.  There is an atmosphere of repressed passion, especially after dark, when couples stroll together in leather jackets, embracing tightly and kissing long and deep… Flash back: July 2013. My wife and I are…

A Surfer – Ulladulla, Australia

…I am woken by crunching gravel.  I blink into the blinding beam of a powerful flashlight. Oh, sorry mate.  Didn’t realise you were sleeping in there, says a nervous young voice.  The flashlight beam moves off my face, and I see an embarrassed looking young cop, with his hand still hovering over his gun holster……